Her quiet apology confused .
— What do you an?
— If you don't want… I'll leave right now.
I hesitated, because I didn't expect the girl to still rember «that ti. Even though a lot of ti had passed and Rachel had apologized several tis-she no longer dared to touch . Today was an exception because of the alcohol: it had affected Rachel, and she had let her emotions run wild.
I sighed and sat down next to her on the bed.
— I told you not to think about it anymore,» I reminded her grudgingly.
— I… I can't do this,» she looked away.
— I've already forgiven you.
— But I haven't forgiven myself yet.
— And now what? — She chuckled. «Are we going to keep our vows for the rest of our lives?
— If that's what you want, then…
— No!» I protested hastily. «It's just an example. Who said I needed such a vow? Besides, it's not like we live in a temple.
Rachel was still hesitant to look at . At that mont she suddenly lost her usual confidence-and it seed that I was the one who was now seducing an innocent lady. It was a pretty awkward situation.
— Look,» I said seriously, «Don't make do everything myself.
— А…?
Rachel was taken aback when I said those words and suddenly fell over her. I never thought I'd actually be in this position.
— Still not going to do anything? — I interrogated.
Rachel stared at in the dark for a while, stunned. Then she grinned faintly. The look on her face was back to the way I'd always known it would be. Her hand rested on my waist.
— You said it yourself, wifey.
In the blink of an eye, Rachel flipped over and we switched positions. Now I was fluttering my eyes in surprise-as things began to happen all too quickly. The girl seed to have waited so long for my approval that now she couldn't help herself.
Had she forgiven herself too quickly…?
Her hands road powerfully over my body, and her kisses were so insistent that I couldn't breathe out.
I guess I could already imagine the sleepless night that awaited .
***
In the morning, an unexpected guest visited the imperial palace. As the guards reported: he knelt in front of the gate all night — waiting for the queen to receive him. But Rachel flatly refused this audience.
All because it was forr crown prince Philip Blanche.
Rachel hated the guy and was going to execute him before the eting even took place. I managed to talk her out of it at the very last mont. After all, if Philip wasn't afraid to co to the palace on his own, he must have had sothing really important to say. It's not hard to give him a few minutes.
After my suggestion that Rachel could kill the prince at any mont, the girl finally agreed. Philip was allowed into the throne room. I decided to be there, too, just in case, and took a seat on a nearby throne.
The giant golden doors opened.
When I saw Philip I was involuntarily surprised. The crown prince I had known before was walking down the red carpet. He was very thin, haggard and pale. He was dressed in the unassuming clothes of commoners.
But even more surprising was his behavior. Before, Philip had been very ignorant and looked down on everyone. Now he didn't utter a word when he reached the end of the path and stood before the throne and suddenly… Kneeled?!
— Thank you for the audience, Your Majesty!
Looking at how the guy touched his forehead to the very floor, I was involuntarily shocked. Is this really the spoiled heir to the empire?
It made no impression on Rachel herself, though. She didn't even look in his direction.
— Tell ,» she hissed, «I'm even curious as to your motives for coming here. Perhaps I'll consider it before I'm executed.
— I…» he panted, and said in all seriousness, «I've co to surrender.
— What?
— I want to say I'm sorry for what I did!
Even Rachel didn't see it coming, and she frowned.
— Why would she do that? — If this is your plan… Do you really expect to buy it?
The Kronprinze shook his head in a negative way.
— He shook his head in the negative. «It is my deliberate decision.
— You an you ca here to die knowingly? — She sumd it up.
— Yes.
— And why is that?» Rachel repeated her question.
— For my daughter,» the boy answered, «I want a better future for her. And I don't… I don't want her to spend her life on the run with .
— Do you have a kid? — I asked him again.
The prince nodded and went into a little more detail. I was surprised, to put it mildly, because I hadn't expected Philip to be the first father of anyone I'd ever t. I'd always thought he was too irresponsible for such a role.
— And her mother? Where is she? — I asked afterwards.
The prince did not answer this question. However, from his sad expression I realized what had happened. I could only ntally sympathize.
But Rachel wasn't the least bit affected by such sentint. In the sa cold tone, she continued:
— So this is what you want?
— I dare not ask for rcy,» Philip bowed low to the floor again, «I only ask Your Majesty to show rcy to my daughter! She is not guilty of anything.
There was a brief pause in the throne room. Philip dared not look up-although Rachel had made up her mind long ago. She hadn't thought to show any leniency to the forr crown prince.
— Rachel, are you really going to execute him? — I whispered in her ear as the boy waited to make his decision.
— Of course,» she replied without hesitation.
— What about the baby?
— What's he got to do with it? — the girl frowned.
— She's already lost her mother,» I insisted, «If we kill Phillip now, the child will be an orphan. Is that the right thing to do?
Rachel resented my words.
— Why are you protecting him?
— I'm not protecting him, I'm protecting the baby! — I objected, «The child is innocent. She doesn't deserve to go to an orphanage right after she's born.
The girl exhaled angrily and rubbed her forehead. Of course she couldn't be moved by such talk. Rachel didn't care: that so stranger's child would be left without parents. But she cared about .
— Think again,» I insisted, «Would Philip's death change anything?
Rachel gave a hard look, and I understood her feelings. In this world, the crown prince was the second person after my father-that she wanted dead. After all, they had acted together on that fateful day and caused the death of Duke Cassius. Rachel would not forgive that for the rest of her life.
I knew how hard it was for a girl to let him go. Still, Philip's death would not bring the Duke back to life-but it might not yet ruin soone else's. Philip's daughter must at least have a father.
I tried to convey my thoughts to Rachel and that I should be sympathetic to the situation. In the end, she gave in to my pressure.
— One ti,» she muttered, «I'll only let this happen once.
The next mont Rachel reluctantly turned to Phillip-who was still on his knees. Until then, he had been watching our conversation tensely and hadn't dared to move.
— This is your last chance,» she declared, «If you fail, not even Leriana can help you anymore.
— What…? — The boy was taken aback.
— I'm taking the title of crown prince away from you,» she said, «From now on, you're the Earl of Blanche. And… You are forbidden to return to the capital for the next fifteen years.
Philip could not believe his ears: he had indeed been spared! It was akin to the unthinkable. And the «consequences» of this decision did not matter. Forrly a crown prince, now one of the many aristocrats of Azeroth. That social status and luxury will never exist again.
And yet… The boy didn't care about that. After all, he was different from his past self now. The important thing was that he and his daughter now had a future.
— Thank you for your rcy, Your Majesty!
There were tears of happiness in Philip's voice as he bowed. I breathed a sigh of relief.
And the mont he was about to leave the palace after the audience, I caught up with him.
— Phillip!
The boy stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked at in surprise. We had co to a point where we were on a par with each other. I'd forgotten the last ti we'd spoken in private.
— How's it going with you? — I asked.
The guy smiled.
— I think you'll be fine now.
I nodded.
— Uh-huh. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!
— Thanks,» Philip said embarrassed, «I'm glad you're doing well, too.
We were silent for a while. The prince hesitantly began:
— Leriana… As a matter of fact, I've wanted to apologize to you for a long ti.
— А?
— I did so many things wrong,» Philip sighed heavily, «I'm really sorry that it happened… I've caused you a lot of trouble, too.
I sighed.
— The main thing is that now you understand everything.
The guy agreed:
— Indeed. Now I know what's truly important and worth living for.
Following these words, Philip smiled awkwardly.
— Leriana… Can I give you a hug?
At first surprised, I smiled back.
— Of course!
For the first ti in years there was no animosity between us. We hugged each other like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.
Pulling away, with the sa smile the guy said:
— I wish you happiness.
At that mont I knew right away what he ant. Once upon a ti in the garden of the academy, we had a conversation: one that forever changed our relationship into «before» and «after.» When I told Philip about my relationship with Rachel-the guy didn't say anything back then. Afterwards, he changed beyond recognition.
But that's all in the past now. After all this ti, my high school friend Phil finally gave us his blessing.
— Thanks,» I smiled. «Best wishes to you, too.
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